An employee of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office was the victim of a scam.
The employee, who lives in Johnston County, reported the incident to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.
The victim said they went online Monday to apply for a $6,000 loan. They were contacted by telephone by a individual posing as a finance company based out of Texas. They claimed they were approved for a 36 month loan at 10 percent interest.
However, the caller claimed the victim needed to send $210 in gift cards to their office to complete the processing. The victim sent the money to the person but then became suspicious. After contacting the person for a refund they were told they needed to pay another $200 for an application fee.
This scam is not new. The scammers pose as legitimate loan companies or financial institutions. The crooks place a phone call to the victim, claiming they are with a bank and say they have been approved for the loan but need to first pay a transfer fee.
Oftentimes the victims are lured by emails from the impersonators, which appears to be a legitimate loan approval notice. The scammers typically use website addresses and telephone numbers similar to a bank, even spoofing caller ID’s to show they are getting a call from a legitimate bank’s phone number.
Officials say you should never give your information out over the internet unless you can verify the company you’re dealing with. Also, work with local banks and established local lenders whenever possible.
If you have been a victim of a similar crime you can file a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
